The Behringer UB-Xa Oberheim Clone is available at last!
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The long-awaited Behringer UB-Xa is now finally available! Behringer’s remake of the legendary Oberheim OB-Xa goes on sale today – and it’s even more affordable than we thought.
After what seems like an eternity, the Behringer UB-Xa finally sees the light of day. Initially conceived as early as 2018, Behringer’s ambitious clone of the Oberheim classic underwent a lengthy development process lined with several prototypes (including, most recently, a desktop version), teaser pictures, and initial demos from the beta testing phase. It sure took them a while, but the wait is now finally over.
If you’ve been following the UB-Xa story, you probably already know most of the details. With 16 voices, the polysynth offers twice the polyphony of the OB-Xa. It’s also bitimbral, so you can split or layer two different sounds. Eight different vintage modes bring in analogue subtleties. Together with the filter, which offers a choice of 12 and 24 dB modes, this extends the sonic potential of the synth beyond the scope of a pure OB-Xa wannabe. Other modern features include a complete MIDI implementation, MPE compatibility, and storage for 512 user presets. The UB-Xa also comes with the factory presets of the original.
UB-Xa is available now
If you’re ready to order the Behringer UB-Xa, you’ll be happy to find out that it’s even more affordable than we were expecting. And according to Behringer, the most recent price drop benefits a good cause. The manufacturer has decided to donate its profits from the UB-Xa to the charity “Playing for Change”, which aims to bring positive change to people around the world through music (you can find out more about it here). They also pledge to double any donation you make to the foundation:
“We are offering the UB–Xa for a price way below the actual value. If you can, please consider donating the balance or any amount in between to the foundation, and we will double your donation up to an additional $1,000,000.”
The Behringer UB-Xa is now available at Thomann. Deliveries should arrive in about two weeks.
Behringer UB-Xa
More info about the Behringer UB-Xa
Behringer UB-Xa (original post from 28 April 2020)
It’s been 2 years since Uli asked if we fancied an Oberheim clone and a year since we saw the “finished hardware” and were treated to some initial demos. Since then it’s only existed on a “Where’s my UB-Xa” placard that protestors picketing the Behringer headquarters hold above their heads while chanting “bring on the clones!”
But now, in order to ease the suffering of synth enthusiasts, Uli has posted some photos of the latest hardware build of the forthcoming UB-Xa.
Behringer UB-Xa comparison to previous hardware
The eagle-eyed will notice that there have been some changes since last we saw it, Uli says these are largely down to community input. So all your commentary on Facebook and other platforms are definitely worth the effort if you want to get a switch moved a couple of inches to the left or feel that another knob would bring it closer to synth-perfection.
The main changes appear to be over in the modulation and control department and the larger LCD is a distinct improvement over the 2-digital LED display.
Honestly, this is looking pretty great. Good size and shape, nice detail and could be the affordable polysynth we’ve been waiting for. Uli says there’s still a lot of work to do on the firmware and getting it to function because is not like banging out an analogue monosynth.
More information
- Behringer UB-Xa: Behringer
- Behringer UB-Xa comparison to previous hardware: Behringer
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